Dr Mathew Coakley

Optional for MSc Political Theory and MSc Political Theory (Research); open to others on request.

Analysis and critical assessment of divergent conceptions of freedom in contemporary liberal political thinking.

The liberal idea of freedom does not constitute a unitary concept. The widespread assumption that is does is largely due to Gerald MacCallum's influential analysis of 'freedom' as a 'triadic concept', which repudiates Isaiah Berlin's seminal distinction between 'negative freedom' and 'positive freedom'. This course re-examines the classic Berlin/MacCallum debate in the light of divergent contemporary liberal conceptions of freedom. Following an initial assessment of that debate, we shall turn our attention, first, to the two very different liberal conceptions of negative freedom proposed by Robert Nozick and Hillel Steiner respectively and, second, to the equally different liberal accounts of positive freedom developed by Ronald Dworkin and Joseph Raz. We will additionally examined the work of two further thinkers - Amartya Sen and Onora O'Neill - who importantly extend the meaning of liberal freedom both substantively (Sen) and conceptually (O'Neill). Our critical comparative analysis of these distinctive and even conflicting approaches of liberal freedom will show that the idea of freedom remains an 'essentially contested concept' within liberal political theory. Our analyses will also give rise to a number of related metaphysical and substantive issues. These include, the prevalence of conflicting liberal conceptions of the person; differences in the articulation of the relation between individual freedom and political responsibility; and disagreement concerning the proper role of the market relative to liberal political morality. Throughout the course we shall be paying particular attention to the universalisability of each of the four accounts of liberal freedom, and shall assess their practical plausibility within an increasingly global moral and political context.

10 two-hour seminars in the LT and two revision seminars in the ST.

All students are expected to submit two non-assessed essays.

Isaiah Berlin,'Two Concepts of Liberty' in Berlin, Liberty (edited by Henry Hardy); Gerald MacCallum, 'Negative and Positive Freedom', in Philosophical Review, Vol 76 (1967); Ian Carter, A Measure of Freedom; Matthew Kramer, The Quality of Freedom; John Gray, Liberalisms; Richard Flathman, The Philosophy and Politics of Freedom; John Christman (Ed), The Inner Citadel. Essays on Individual Autonomy; Robert Nozick, Anarchy, State, and Utopia; Hillel Steiner, An Essay on Rights; Joseph Raz, The Morality of Freedom; Amartya Sen, Development as Freedom; Gary Watson (ed), Free Will; Phillip Pettit, A Theory of Freedom.Isaiah Berlin,'Two Concepts of Liberty' in Berlin, Liberty (edited by Henry Hardy); Gerald MacCallum, 'Negative and Positive Freedom', in Philosophical Review, Vol 76 (1967); Ian Carter, A Measure of Freedom; Matthew Kramer, The Quality of Freedom; John Gray, Liberalisms; Richard Flathman, The Philosophy and Politics of Freedom; John Christman (Ed), The Inner Citadel. Essays on Individual Autonomy; Robert Nozick, Anarchy, State, and Utopia; Hillel Steiner, An Essay on Rights; Joseph Raz, The Morality of Freedom; Amartya Sen, Development as Freedom; Gary Watson (ed), Free Will; Phillip Pettit, A Theory of Freedom.

Assessment will consist of an extended essay of between 4,000-5,000 words based on a topic examined in the course. The essay provides 100% of the formal assessment for this course (i.e., there are no examinations).